Battle of the Black Castle
The Battle of the Black Castle was a major battle fought in the capital city of Solomon after its destruction by the Sunrise Device. The main objective was securing the Houses of Parliament of Norta, also known as the Black Castle. A prolonged, bloody engagement fought between infantry and armoured forces of the surviving United Republic and of Heartland, this battle was one of the largest engagements of the campaign. Geography The Parliament Building of the country of Norta was constructed in ERA 09-10, on the bank on the Solomon Reservoir in the centre of the city. Dominating most of the district of Palada in which the complex is located, the vast and elaborate building was originally constructed as a fortress, with tall walls surrounding the lavish exterior. The building was two stories high, and had many rooms for different uses, including administration, security, living quarters and offices, as well as the Senate Hall, where the members of Parliament would meet. The complex was off limits to civilians and was seemingly cut off from the rest of the district of Palada, with any visitors having to pass through a closely and heavily guarded security checkpoint. The rest of the district of Palada is made of of tall buildings with mixed allocations; both lavish residential complexes and standard housing blocks line the roads, as well as commercial buildings, factories and office skyscrapers. Areas of interest are Stowell Square, Chappel Market and the Palada Fields. A large military garrison is also located to the North of the castle, along the main road. Over 2,000,000 people either lived or worked in the district. Destruction On the 21st of October ERA 10-20, the supernuclear Sunrise Device manufactured by Heartland detonated in Solomon. Of all the districts to survive complete destruction, Palada was arguably the closest to the epicentre of the explosion. About 3 miles away from the Castle, the bomb exploded, creating a massive crater and sending out a colossal fireball. Entire areas of the city were levelled, and countless civilians were vaporised in an instant. In Palada, building caught fire and toppled under the immense heat and shockwaves created by the blast. Nearly the entire population of the district died in the first few minutes; killed by being either caught in the fireball, boiled by the intense release of microwave radiation or struck down by the debilitating winds of gamma radiation. Skyscrapers of solid concrete and stone fell against each other, or toppled into a pile of debris. The parliament building was almost completely razed to the ground. The large wall that surrounded the castle was turned to dust, and vast areas of the building including the senate hall were reduced to rubble. Most of the troops from the nearby garrison assigned to protecting the castle perished in the blast. They few remaining that were fit enough to walk attempted to flee the city going south, but were halted by blocking debris and exposure. They were forced to take refuge in the basement of a semi-collapsed building, and were eventually found by friendly troops. Battle It is unknown when the actual battle for the Parliament building started. Heartland troops that had survived the explosion began to push towards the district, as they perceived the castle as an objective of strategic importance. UF Troops also started massing in the area, and after several weeks of skirmishes, on the 15th November, the two sides broke into all out assault. Fighting began fiercely; while Main Battle Tanks and Armoured Cars from both sides fought in the streets, infantry forces engaged in deadly close combat in attempt to control individual buildings. By the end of the first day of the assault, with the UF soldiers situated in the South of the district and the Heartland Forces to the North-West, a line had formed across the area, with skirmishes being fought in buildings and on the streets along it. By the 20th November, the Heartland Forces had seized the parliament building. Although some areas of the complex were occupied by pockets of UF resistance, the majority was in Heartland hands. They found the castle in a near destroyed state, with most of its vast corridors collapsed, and the surrounding area flattened and piled with rubble. Nevertheless, troops occupied the building. Fighting continued until the 29th of November. Areas such as the Market and Stowell Square changed hands many times, with the square being an area of particularly heavy fighting, and the site of the Stowell Square massacre, where the United Forces through huge numbers of soldiers at the defending Heartland Infantry in an attempt to capture a working radio set that had been repaired by Heartland technicians. As well as fighting other soldiers, the troops were also fighting the constant barrage of harmful radiation that blanketed the area, as well as dehydration, hunger and exhaustion. In many cases, soldiers died standing at their posts, while others collapsed in the middle of battle. Losses for both sides began to rapidly mount in one of the most deadly battles of the campaign. By the 29th of November, UF troops had began gaining the upper hand, and the Heartland defensive line crumbled. Desperate to continue the fight, the last of the Heavy tanks were placed into the fray. On the 31st of November, UF troops surrounded the castle, and after another day's heavy fighting, managed to liberate it from the invaders. Despite this initial victory, control over the building and the surrounding area continued, as counter-attacks and violent skirmishes lasted until mid December. By this time, the two armies had been fought into a stalemate. What had been two forces of hundreds of thousands had been withered down to less than 5000 soldiers between the two. The remaining Heartland troops retreated to an unknown area, and the UF survivors set up in the destroyed palace. They stayed there for an indeterminable amount of time, with some soldier reportedly leaving to escape the city. The already ruined city roads were littered with corpses. Those who stayed behind moved all they could to the sewer. It is unknown what happened to the UF troops who guarded the Parliament building, as intelligence in Solomon became increasingly difficult to gather as the radioactive dust settled. Cut off from supplies of food and clean water, it is likely they succumbed to the radiation, or died of malnutrition. Category:Premier Timeline